


It's Time For a Change

by Tgaret990



Series: Let Me Be There For You [3]
Category: All Elite Wrestling, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: And Kota's worried about what'll happen if he does, Can we talk about how Kenny roasted everyone with that "apology"?, He thinks he needs to bring his edge back, Kenny's been losing a lot and it's taking its toll on him, M/M, Our boys worrying about each other, Reaction to BTE Episode 171: "Shots To Take And Girls To Date", also, anyway, that was great
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-15
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-12-17 02:00:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21046451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tgaret990/pseuds/Tgaret990
Summary: Kenny's acting less and less like himself, and Kota doesn't like where he thinks this is heading. He doesn't want to see Kenny go down that path again, but Kenny doesn't know if that's possible. They talk about it, but they'll just have to wait and see how everything goes.





	It's Time For a Change

It’s Time For a Change

A/N: **_Yes._** Yes to that BTE episode. Also, Kenny wearing the Cleaner glasses and roasting literally everyone. Anyway, in this mini AU Kota sees this, and he honestly has no idea what to think because he’s just as confused as everyone else. Also, apologies in advance if you read this and nothing seems to make sense. My thoughts are everywhere, but the last paragraph is a pretty good summary of what I was trying to get across.

  
  


He didn’t even have to call this time. Before he could, his phone erupted with texts, surprisingly in Kanji, and even more surprisingly from the Young Bucks. If he had to guess, they’d Google Translated most of what they’d sent, and enough of it was accurate to understand. The gist of the messages was that they had no idea what was going on with Kenny. One week he’s distraught and nonsensical. The next, he’s being a snarky and unconcerned, with a devil may care attitude. They didn’t know what to do, so they suggested a video chat, and Kota obliged. He sat down on the edge of his bed and waited for a few moments, feeling his heart skip a beat as Kenny appeared on the screen, trying to straighten up his phone.

_ “Did Matt and Nick tell you to talk to me?” _ Kenny asked, voice quiet, sat back against the headboard of his hotel bed. He was still wearing the glasses from the BTE episode, though he was in a t-shirt and sweatpants, and his expression was blank.

“Yes, but I would have called anyway,” Kota told him. “So… The… Apology?” He didn’t understand a lot of what Kenny had said, but he’d made out enough and seen enough to guess. “You didn’t seem very sincere afterwards.” Kenny looked confused at his last statement before irked realization dawned on his face.

_ “They put that in the episode, didn’t they?” _ Kota nodded, and Kenny scowled.

“They’re just as worried about you as your fans are, as  **I** am.” Kenny scoffed at that, throwing his free hand up in frustration.

_ “ _ ** _Again_ ** _ with being worried. Look, I’m all good now. I, as a matter of fact, have come to a realization.” _ Kota looked to him suspiciously, not liking the smirk Kenny was now wearing.

“And what’s that?”

_ “You don’t get anywhere by trying to be a hero, or trying to be a nice guy. I've been all over the place lately, but I think it's time for a change."  _ A change? Kota met Kenny's smug expression with his confused one.

"What kind of change?" Kota asked carefully. Kenny's expression softened just a little.

_ "Lately, I feel like I've held myself back a bit. I try to put on great matches and tell amazing stories, but there's always been a line that I never wanted to cross. It's a line where there's no regrets, no second thoughts, no mercy." _ He suddenly became serious.  _ "We haven't even had our first show on TNT and I already feel like I'm off my game, like I've set myself up for failure. To be  _ ** _nice._ ** _ To be the good guy. To be— _

"Don't," Kota told him, knowing exactly which word he was about to use. "Don't finish that sentence. You're  **not,** and that's exactly the kind of thinking that led you down that dark path. You are one of the greatest wrestlers in the world, and even you can have bad days, months even… Having a sense of honor gives you strength, even if the low road might give faster results." Kenny sighed, running a hand through his hair and taking off his glasses. He set them aside, suddenly looking exhausted and drained.

_ "I wish I had your confidence, and your patience." _

"I just… Don't like how you are when you're not acting like… you. The you  **I** know." Kenny gazed lovingly at Kota.

_ "Me when it's just us and me out there are two completely different people." _

"It never used to be that different."

_ "Things change.  _ ** _People_ ** _ change, for better or for worse." _

"And now? Is it better, or worse?" Kenny thought on the question for a few moments.

_ "I don't know yet. I guess we'll have to wait until next Wednesday to find out." _ He stopped a concerned looking Kota before he could fuss any more over it.  _ "I can't make any promises, okay? Just… Trust me this time. I just… I have a feeling that there's a long road ahead of me, and this is just one thing on that road I  _ ** _have_ ** _ to deal with. Trust me to make it through this." _ Kenny met Kota's conflicted gaze, but let out a breath he didn't know he was holding when Kota eventually nodded.

"Just don't do this alone. Let me be there for you when you know you need someone."

_ "Always. I'm not pushing you away again. Never again." _

"And Matt and Nick—

_ "Are worried about me. I know. They just want to make sure I'm okay. I  _ ** _know._ ** _ But if things keep going downhill… I'm not gonna be able to help myself if I snap." _ If he…?

"You wouldn't…" Kota trailed off, not sure if he wanted to finish that sentence, or even dwell on the thought.

_ "I don't know. Maybe. Like I told you, I don't feel like myself a lot of the time these days. Maybe I would." _

“But Matt and Nick—

_ “ _ ** _No._ ** _ I wouldn’t… I don’t want to go through that again. It won’t happen again. You, Matt, and Nick are the only ones I know for sure will stick with me when shit hits the fan and nothing’s going right. I won’t push them away either. I just… You know how I can get.” _ Kota sighed.

“I know. Promise you’ll be safe?”

_ “I can promise to do my best to be safe, but people have a habit of attacking  _ ** _me_ ** _ these days, not the other way around.” _ When Kota gave him a serious look, Kenny relented.  _ “I promise I will do my best to be safe.” _

“Okay.” 

_ “Call you later?” _ Kota nodded, concern still clear on his face.  _ “I’ll be fine, Kota. I can take care of myself.” _

“I  **know,** but you know how  _ I _ get.” They shared a laugh at that. They were talking in circles now, weren’t they? But what else could he say? Neither of them really knew how to approach the situation. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

_ “I will, and rest up. EVIL’s not letting you keep that contract without a fight.” _

“He won’t win,” Kota assured him.

_ “Of course he won’t, but he’s not someone to take lightly either. Send him back to LIJ empty handed.” _

They said their goodbyes and ended the call, Kota flopping back on his bed afterwards. He… Didn’t like the idea of Kenny embracing that darker part of himself again. It made his chest tighten to think what could happen if he shut everyone out again, if he hid his true self away again. But Kenny had asked him to trust him, to trust that he knew what he was doing this time, so Kota would. He just hoped he wouldn’t come to regret it.

  
  


Closing A/N; This is very late after that episode, but I kind of wanted to see where they were going with the storyline before I wrote more. Other fics probably incoming soon as well.


End file.
